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A review by tcbueti
EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken by Sally Warner
4.0
This easy chapter book has some interesting things to say about bullying and school stuff. I love the character's complaint that if you get in trouble in school, that should be enough; why do you have to get in trouble for the same thing at home, too?? And the dynamics of bullying--two against one, bigger against smaller, done out of sight, during recess, etc. are pretty accurate.
EllRay (for "Lancelot Ray") has a secret bully problem, and he's determined to avoid trouble and resolve it on his own, in order to win a good behavior reward trip to Disneyland from his parents. (They live in Southern CA.) So EllRay tries to avoid the bully, Jared, which leads to being called a chicken. Still, he persists, until, in a final confrontation, including an actual fight, Jared blurts out why he's mad: months ago, EllRay made a joke that embarrassed Jared in front of a girl he liked. They sort of resolve this, and then EllRay's parents surprise him and bring Jared on the Disneyland trip: a teacher had tipped them off to friction between the boys. This "Enemy Pie" [bc:Enemy Pie|103814|Enemy Pie|Derek Munson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171502108s/103814.jpg|100098]approach nearly backfires, but eventually mostly works when the boys are left alone (with cell phones) for a while on the trip .
This book will resonate with lots of kids who deal with bullies. Avoidance, making light of teasing are all early steps to getting out of a bullying situation. However, many experts say that trying to work it out without adults is a mistake; EllRay tries to do that, but actually the adult, sort of sideways intervention does help, as does clearing the air about the actual cause. This might work if there is a concrete event that triggers a problem, but I think often the issues are more subtle. (Though maybe sometimes they start small, like this.) And I'm not sure how realistic it is that Jared would actually say why he was mad. That being said, this could open the door to discussions about the issue--"Do you think this would work? Were the parents right to intervene? The teacher? How would you have handled it if you were EllRay? His parents? What about Jared's sidekick, Stanley?"
EllRay is a likable, sturdy guy with a good sense of humor. He's aware of his parents', especially his dad's, concerns about behavior, academic excellence and potential racism (It's worth mentioning that they are one of only 10 or 11 African-American families in their town. p78. EllRay doesn't want that to come into play, doesn't think that's the issue.) His realistically annoying/charming little sister adds a note of humor. The book includes sketchy drawings by Jamie Harper and funny lists. Cover by Brian Biggs, of Roscoe Riley and Shredderman fame.
EllRay (for "Lancelot Ray") has a secret bully problem, and he's determined to avoid trouble and resolve it on his own, in order to win a good behavior reward trip to Disneyland from his parents. (They live in Southern CA.) So EllRay tries to avoid the bully, Jared, which leads to being called a chicken. Still, he persists, until, in a final confrontation, including an actual fight, Jared blurts out why he's mad: months ago, EllRay made a joke that embarrassed Jared in front of a girl he liked. They sort of resolve this, and then EllRay's parents surprise him and bring Jared on the Disneyland trip: a teacher had tipped them off to friction between the boys. This "Enemy Pie" [bc:Enemy Pie|103814|Enemy Pie|Derek Munson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171502108s/103814.jpg|100098]approach nearly backfires, but eventually mostly works when the boys are left alone (with cell phones) for a while on the trip .
This book will resonate with lots of kids who deal with bullies. Avoidance, making light of teasing are all early steps to getting out of a bullying situation. However, many experts say that trying to work it out without adults is a mistake; EllRay tries to do that, but actually the adult, sort of sideways intervention does help, as does clearing the air about the actual cause. This might work if there is a concrete event that triggers a problem, but I think often the issues are more subtle. (Though maybe sometimes they start small, like this.) And I'm not sure how realistic it is that Jared would actually say why he was mad. That being said, this could open the door to discussions about the issue--"Do you think this would work? Were the parents right to intervene? The teacher? How would you have handled it if you were EllRay? His parents? What about Jared's sidekick, Stanley?"
EllRay is a likable, sturdy guy with a good sense of humor. He's aware of his parents', especially his dad's, concerns about behavior, academic excellence and potential racism (It's worth mentioning that they are one of only 10 or 11 African-American families in their town. p78. EllRay doesn't want that to come into play, doesn't think that's the issue.) His realistically annoying/charming little sister adds a note of humor. The book includes sketchy drawings by Jamie Harper and funny lists. Cover by Brian Biggs, of Roscoe Riley and Shredderman fame.